Serum lipids and lipoproteins in active rheumatoid arthritis

ABSTRACT

Twenty-five patients with recently diagnosed active RA [five men and twenty women] and fifteen healthy control subjects [three men and twelve women] were recruited for this study. Serum total lipids, triglycerides and cholesterol concentrations were significantly reduced by 14%, 33% and 12%, respectively, compared with the control subjects. There was no significant difference in HDL and LDL cholesterol values in patients and controls. On looking at female subpopulation, serum total lipids, triglycerides, cholesterol and LDL cholesterol were significantly reduced in patients by 13%, 29%, 13% and 15%, respectively, but there was no significant difference in HDL cholesterol concentration in female patients compared with female controls. There was no correlation between these results and level of sedimentation rate. This study provided evidence of abnormal lipid metabolism in active rheumatoid arthritis but the cardiovascular disease associated with RA could not attributed to these abnormalities